Quick Facts
- Born:
- Dec. 16, 1826, Pisa [Italy]
- Died:
- Sept. 20, 1873, Florence (aged 46)
- Subjects Of Study:
- comet
- comet tail
- spectrum
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Giovanni Battista Donati
Italian astronomer
Giovanni Battista Donati (born Dec. 16, 1826, Pisa [Italy]—died Sept. 20, 1873, Florence) was an Italian astronomer who, on Aug. 5, 1864, was first to observe the spectrum of a comet (Comet 1864 II). This observation indicated correctly that comet tails contain luminous gas and do not shine merely by reflected sunlight.
Between 1854 and 1864 Donati discovered six comets, one of which, first seen on June 2, 1858, bears his name. These discoveries led to his appointment as professor of astronomy and director of the observatory at Florence in 1864. He also contributed to early classification systems for stellar spectra. Donati was supervising the building of a new observatory at Arcetri, near Florence, when he died.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.